Soccer-Mexican fan falls from cruise ship after World Cup game

BRASILIA, June 19 | By Alonso Soto

BRASILIA, June 19 (Reuters) - The Brazilian navy is searching for a Mexican fan who fell from a cruise ship sailing off the northeastern city where Mexico played Brazil in the World Cup, local officials said on Thursday.

The fan fell on Wednesday evening from the MSC Divina, owned and operated by the local unit of MSC Cruises, about 50 Km (30 miles) off the coast of the state of Rio Grande do Norte, the company said.

The cruise with 3,500 Mexican fans onboard was leaving the coastal city of Fortaleza where a day earlier Mexico held Brazil to a 0-0 draw to leave both sides poised to reach the last 16.

Chartered by a Mexican travel agency, the ship was on its way to Recife where Mexico play Croatia in their final Group A game, MSC Cruises said in a statement.

"Immediately after we were notified by the cruise, we sent a rescue ship to the area, but so far we have not found the passenger," a spokeswoman for the regional navy command told Reuters. "He fell in high seas, deep waters."

MSC did not release the name of the passenger or how the fan fell. (Reporting by Alonso Soto; editing by Justin Palmer)